Sex during menopause- Are you talking about sex to your doctor? If not, you should because they can really help – but you may have to make the first move. You might have a great relationship with your doctor but you might be too embarrassed to talk about problems you’re having when it comes to sex – and, your doctor might be too. As we know, sex can become an issue around the time of menopause. Vaginal dryness can make it painful or your libido may have taken a nose dive. Sheryl Kingsburg, a clinical psychologist in the Obstetrics &…
How to make the most of your GP appointment if you want to discuss menopause? You’ve only got ten minutes, so how do you make the most of it if you want to talk to your doctor about menopause? This is a question that’s kept Dr Carys Sonnenberg awake for many nights – tossing and turning over how she can help her patients make the most of a short consultation so they can get the right treatment plan for them as fast as possible – and she’s come up with a plan. Dr Sonnenberg says if you think your…
Below is a template draft that you are welcome to adapt to include your own experiences and send to your local MP. Don’t forget to put your full name and address with post code on it so your MP knows you are one of their constituents. You can find contact details for your MP by searching here: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons Feel free to use the template below, cut and paste or take inspiration from – as you see fit in your letter to your MP. Dear XXXX I’m contacting you about the upcoming Westminster Hall Private Members Bill initiated by Carolyn Harris …
Consultant Gynaecologist Professor Isaac Manyonda answers some frequently asked questions on menopause, HRT and breast cancer. Q: Is HRT safe? A: “There’s no doubt that the one thing what worries women when it comes to HRT is the Big C, breast cancer. When it comes to the WHI studies which were published in 2002-3, the main focus was on breast cancer and sadly there was a lot of confusion about it. “If you take 1000 women and follow them up for 5 years, 23 who are not taking HRT will get breast cancer, so it’s quite common. But if you…
The mere mention of HRT can spark fears of breast cancer, but should it? Breast surgeon Professor Zoe Winters and Consultant Gynacologist Jeannie Yoon set the record straight. Navigating the Menopause can be a huge challenge for many women. It can be a strange and isolating time for some as despite being well informed, there remains a taboo about acknowledging it and discussing it openly. Approximately 95% of women will go through the Menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 years with an average age of 51 years. The symptoms can range from minor to debilitating and include…
Confused about how to use progesterone or you don’t tolerate it well? Dr Juliet Balfour explains your options. If you have a uterus you need progesterone as part of your HRT. It is vital for controlling the thickness of the endometrium or lining of the womb. By stopping it from becoming too thick it reduces our risk of endometrial or womb cancer. Dr Juliet Balfour, a menopause GP from Somerset says progesterone is produced by our ovaries and in our fertile years its job is to prepare the womb for pregnancy. If we don’t get pregnant the levels drop and…
How does menopause affect your skin, hair and nails? Dr Naomi Potter explains what it does and what can help. Menopause is so much more than hot flushes and night sweats. There are more than 40 symptoms that signal declining oestrogen levels, and many affect our skin, hair and nails. As skin is the body’s largest organ it plays an important role in keeping us healthy, so it’s vital that we keep it in good condition. Here Harley Street Emporium’s Dr Naomi Potter, a London-based GP with a special interest in menopause, runs through some of the common skin symptoms she…
Women are often given a range of reasons why they can’t have HRT, but are they correct? Dr Naomi Potter sets the record straight. ‘Too old’, ‘too young’, ‘you have migraines’, ‘you’ve had a clot’ – these are just some of the reason women are given by their doctor as justification for not prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause symptoms. Many women may sail through menopause with barely a symptom, but for others they can be debilitating. Yet, 44% of respondents to a poll by Harley Street Emporium said they had been turned away when they had…
Menopause’s hidden symptoms – anxiety, depression, brain fog and a low sex drive affect more women than hot flushes. When you think of menopause symptoms the first things that usually come to mind are red-faced women, drenched in sweat as they suffer yet another hot flush or night sweat, but a recent survey shows that mood, mental health and brain function symptoms could be affecting more women than these vasomotor symptoms. Some 60% of respondents to a survey of 100 perimenopausal and post menopausal women conducted by Harley Street Emporium said hot flushes and night sweats were an issue for…
Happy 18th! The WHI study on HRT has come of age. But should we be celebrating? Some doctors argue the effects of this study have cost a generation of women their long term health. You may remember waking up 18 years ago to headlines emblazoned across newspapers proclaiming hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increased the risk of developing breast cancer. If you were about to take your morning dose, you could easily be forgiven for spitting it out and then flushing it and the rest of the packet down the loo. And you wouldn’t have been alone. The story was…
Can’t walk, can’t sit, can’t have sex – welcome to the debilitating world of vaginal atrophy. Author Jane Lewis knows it well and explains what it is and how you can get through it. Our Vaginas go through a lot – childbirth, periods, infections… but with menopause you’d finally start to think they were going to get a break – but hell no! In the lead up to menopause (when our periods finish), and beyond it, our oestrogen levels decline and our vaginas start to ‘atrophy’. What that means is the vagina shortens and the walls become thinner and less…
Menopause, bones and sex – how HRT could help. Dr Sarah Ball explains. Dr Sarah Ball is a GP with a special interest in Menopause who works with Newson Health. Here she explains how HRT could benefit women in a myriad of different ways. You can see the original interview here. Brittle bones Bone density and the risk of scanning? After menopause our bone density decreases. This puts us at an increased risk of fractures which can in turn lead to decreased mobility and independence and a decline in health. A scan, known as a DEXA scan, can determine…
Often women are told they can’t have HRT. Dr Sarah Ball, a GP with a special interest in menopause, explains why it should ultimately be a woman’s choice. Woman are often told by their doctor that when they reached 60 they can no longer have HRT, or that they’re too young to start taking it in their 40’s. Women who’ve had breast cancer are told they can’t ever have it – but is this always the best information? Dr Sarah Ball argues that women should be given all the facts so they can make their own decisions about whether they…
Is it time we changed the way we think about HRT? Some doctors argue menopause needs a rebranding so we no longer think of HRT as the treatment of last resort. Many women talk about HRT in terms of ‘struggling on,’ ‘braving it out’ and ‘not succumbing’ by taking it because it’s ‘not natural’ – but is that correct? Dr Sarah Ball, a GP with a special interest in the menopause says it is time menopause was rebranded as a ‘chronic hormone deficiency’ rather than accepting it as natural part of getting older, and that HRT was seen as a…
Menopause and HRT: myths and misconceptions. There are about as many myths and misconceptions surrounding HRT as there are symptoms of menopause. Here gynaecologist Vikram Talaulikar runs through some of the most common ones. Q. HRT will make me fat “That’s definitely a myth. I’ve seen many women on HRT go both ways. I’ve seen women starting HRT who’ve put it on and just as many who’ve lost weight or seen no changes. It’s very individual. From the studies we know that it doesn’t make you put on weight but what it can do in the first few…
Premature menopause: What are the signs and the treatment options? Premature and early menopause can have a devastating effect on women and their families. Here, Gynaecologist Vikram Talaulikar from The Menopause Clinic London, talks us through the signs to look out for and the treatment options for symptom relief and fertility available to women. Fact file: Menopause is the cessation of periods Premature menopause or Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is menopause that occurs under the age of 40 and it affect 1-3% of women Early menopause is menopause that occurs under the age of 45 and it affects between…
Could it be menopause? Take the quiz to find out – and see what your treatment options are. It’s not just all hot sweats and mood swings when it comes to menopause. Changes in body odour, brittle nails and dry eyes can also be signs that your oestrogen levels are in decline. Getting the right help is what matters! There are more than 30 symptoms of menopause which may affect virtually every part of your body from your skin, hair and nail to you brain and vaginal health. So how do you know if what you’re experiencing is a…
Dr Shahzadi Harper explain why menopause and midlife is not ‘the end’, but a new beginning. I run the Harper Clinic in London, working as a menopause doctor. The Harper Clinic takes a holistic approach to menopause and the well being of women – it enables me to fulfil my passion for promoting positivity for women. I’m convinced I owe a large part my drive and ambition to my mother’s influence, watching her go through her menopause, combined with my time practicing as a GP in Oxford, I often felt ill-equipped to help women who came into the practice in…
Health experts label HRT risk study reporting ‘Irresponsible’. But, should we still be worried? It seems that every month or so a new study emerges that looks at the risks posed by HRT. It gets reported in the media and women are once again plunged into confusion about whether they should start or continue taking HRT. But many doctors are not impressed claiming the way these studies are reported in the press is ‘irresponsible’ and ‘scaremongering’ with headlines such as ‘Breast cancer risk from using HRT is ‘twice what was thought’ appearing in national newspapers. The study that prompted…
What is Femilift? Femilift is a non-surgical CO2 fractional laser treatment for various common feminine issues, such as Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), vaginal laxity, vaginal dryness, recurring vaginal and urinary infections – what is generally referred to as the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause or GSM. It helps alleviate these symptoms whether they were caused by menopause, hormone deficiency related to cancer therapy or childbirth and aging. How does it work? Vaginal tissue is made up of collagen fibres which give it strength and flexibility – just like the skin on your face or the rest of your body,.…
It might be ‘natural’ but should you use cooking oils to soothe your dry vagina? Women’s Health GP, Dr Shahzadi Harper finds out. These days there is a plethora of internet sites targeting menopausal women offering a variety of ‘natural’ solutions for the symptoms of menopause – and one of the most prevalent of those although it’s rarely spoken about is vaginal dryness. A dry vagina is an uncomfortable menopause symptom but something that can be hard to pin point as it can present in many ways. It can cause an itching and burning sensation that can make it…
Dr Shahzadi Harper is a dynamic GP with an interest in optimising women’s health and wellbeing. Especially during difficult periods of hormonal changes such as perimenopause and menopause. Taking a holistic and positive approach to women’s wellbeing and the menopause, she works to empower women of all backgrounds and ethnicities by giving them the information they need to make informed choices on hormonal treatments for their optimal health and longevity – so they can continue to look and feel their best. She understands the symptoms and concerns that women face in these times as she herself is one of six…
Confused about HRT? Professor Isaac Manyonda talks you through the risks and benefits. What do you think the biggest killer of women in England is today? You might think it’s heart disease or cancer but it is, in fact, dementia. It’s not surprising since we’re living longer, but does that mean we need to think about our long-term health, and the risks to it, in a different way? At the moment many women are afraid of taking HRT because they’re worried about the risk of developing breast cancer. Unfortunately, neither the magnitude of the risks nor the benefits of…
80% of women will experience menopause symptoms. Dr Unnati Desai discusses some of the treatment options. It’s stories like these that make you realise menopause symptoms can make life a living hell for some women. This is the story of Jane Lewis, the author of Me and My Menopausal Vagina: “Hello, I’m Jane and I’m 52 years old. I live with my husband of 34 years, have three grown up daughters, a granddaughter, and two dogs: Bertie and Bonnie. I used to live a really active life but then something changed. I’m not quite sure the exact moment when things went so…
Do you need to have blood test to diagnose menopause? Gynaecologist Vikram Talaulikar gives you a guide. When you sit down with your GP and tell them you’re feeling irritable, waking in a pool of sweat every night or feeling like you’re lacking in energy, they may think you’re on the path to menopause. The first thing they might do is ask you to have a blood test to establish your hormone levels, in particular oestrogen and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). These days though it’s not considered necessary unless the GP has reason to believe there are other underlying…
How do you relieve menopause symptoms if you’ve had breast cancer & can’t take HRT? One in eight women in the UK develop breast cancer at some stage in their adult life. The diagnosis can be devastating, but just to add insult to injury it can also mean many women are either plunged into an early menopause because of the treatments or encouraged to go off their HRT because of the risk of a recurrence or new breast cancer. So, on top of having to deal with the cancer itself, there is a host of unwanted and unwelcome symptoms that they…
Mr Onsy Morris is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists and has been a Gynaecologist for over 40 years. He has spent the last 24 years working as a Consultant at Kingston Hospital. He joined Medical School in 1970 and graduated in 1976. He trained and worked in several major hospitals in the United Kingdom including Teaching Hospitals in Cardiff, Westminster Hospital and Guys and Lewisham Hospitals in London. He also served Queen and Country as a doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps for five years before joining Kingston Hospital as a Consultant in 1993.…
Menopause: what does it do to our skin and how can we fight back? Heather Stephen finds out. Hot flushes, drenched in sweat, sheets on and sheets off all night long – sound familiar? No wonder mood swings are a common symptom of menopause – and all of this can go on for years. And if that weren’t bad enough, your skin seems to go south almost as fast as the rest of you. But there are things that can help. What is the menopause? The menopause is that time in our life when our oestrogen levels decline and our…
Is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) a safer alternative to conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? Dr Hannah Sweillam investigates. Menopause isn’t fun. Hot flushes, mood swings, bathed in a pool of sweat and unable to sleep at night – it’s no wonder women seek relief. And these days it seems more and more women are seeking ‘natural’ alternatives in the form of bioidentical hormones. It’s hard to get exact figures on how many women are using bioidentical hormones as they can be bought online or over-the-counter on private prescription in compounding pharmacies, but according to the North American Menopause Society it’s…
Harley Street Emporium is a website where you can find skincare products, a doctor, find information on perimenopause and menopause, women’s health, and skincare. We feature the best anti-aging skin care products and the best acne products as well as information on how to treat various skin conditions. Consumers can also book with some of the UK’s best menopause doctors, plastic surgeons, dermatologists and aesthetic practitioners. Harley Street Emporium features editorially independent information about skin care, skin conditions, and treatments. The site also features a glossary of ingredients telling consumers what each one does and if there are any safety…
